Off of Hwy 491, 3 miles south of Cortez, turn west onto County Road G. Travel west approximate one mile and turn left to the airport. Proceed another half mile to the terminal building, which will be on your left. Free parking is available in front and across the road.

No Person shall be eligible to office as a Council member unless at the time election he or she is a citizen of the United States, at least twenty-one years of age and shall have been for a one year immediately preceding such election a resident of the City.

Currently, the City of Cortez has 5 marijuana stores in the City of Cortez. There is some space left in the community for a marijuana establishment. All marijuana establishments shall be at least one thousand five hundred feet from any college, university, or seminary, residential child care facility, or other medical or retail marijuana establishment.

Liquor License fees are based upon the type of license requested. A fee is paid to both the City of Cortez and the Colorado Department of Revenue. A new license is required to be approved by City Council prior to sending the State for final approval. Contact the City Clerk for exact fees for a liquor license in the City of Cortez.

The Council Minutes are located under the Agenda and Minutes tab located on the left hand side. You will find minutes under the different boards that the City has as well as the Council Workshop and Regular Meeting. You may also go to the City Council Live Stream and watch meetings at http://www.cityofcortez.com/index.aspx?NID=493

Unfortunately the National Park Service has made the decision to discontinue selling tickets to Mesa Verde National Park at the Colorado Welcome Center in Cortez. If tickets are purchased at Mesa Verde National Park, tickets for Ranger guided tours for Balcony House, Cliff palace, or Long House can be purchased for $5.00.

The City of Cortez hopes to renew that relationship in 2019 as the Mesa Verde Museum Association is no longer a tenant at the Colorado Welcome Center in Cortez and they had previously been the ticket vendor for the park.

Events that are held on city property, including parks, may require permission from city council, written consent from specific staff members, facility use agreements, insurance and other permits depending upon the activities involved and/or the level of support requested of the city. No alcohol is allowed in the parks without these items and other specific requirements regarding fencing, security, etc. The city can help with the planning and permitting process and provide you or your organization with any information you may need to hold events within the city. Contact our Marketing and Events Department with any questions. Call Manager of Marketing and Events Jon Brooks at 970-564-4096 or email jbrooks@cityofcortez.com

Start small: audit your household and recycle the one thing you produce the most of, then as you feel comfortable, add another commodity to your recycling bin. Each household can have up to two City recycling bins.

The city’s sales tax licenses are issued through MuniRevs, www.cortez.munirevs.com. Select “New Users”. The system guides potential business owners through the steps needed to complete the application. The cost is $10.00 and can be paid onlineand by check or debit/credit card at the end of the application process. Once a license is approved business owners will receive emails each month notifying of monthly tax filings due.

The City of Cortez has a use tax on items over $1,000 that are bought out of town/state. A use tax is a tax on merchandise bought in one are but used/stored/registered in another. It is important that you check with the vehicle dealer when you buy a car out of town/state to make sure they are a town/state that reciprocates with the State of Colorado and Colorado Municipalities. If they are a reciprocal vendor, then you will not be charged any tax that would ordinarily be due that town/state, only paying town/state in the place you register your vehicle.

The city established the pricing very low to introduce the fiber system to the business community. The average cost of the drop nationwide runs approximately $1,200.00. The city started the drop fee at $150.00. The city moved the fiber program to an enterprise fund similar to the city's water fund. This allows revenue from the fiber to be used exclusively in the development of the fiber system. Council sets the fees for all city services annually during the budget process. As the fiber enterprise fund develops the cost for the drop fees most likely will increase to reflect the true cost of installing the drop much like the water fund does now. The city purposely set the initial drop fees very low to encourage businesses the incentive to take advantage of the services offered by the network, and to lower the cost of the installations.

The city understands many businesses have contracts in place with their service providers. We would encourage businesses to consider installing the drop for future use of the network. As the drop is an asset to the property, the city would like to maximize the drop installation in an area to save digging up the alleys and streets multiple times. We would encourage the businesses to not sign or re-new any long term contracts with service providers until they have had a chance to explore the benefits of connecting to the city fiber system.

The size of the drop will vary depending on the services required at a business. Some businesses may need more phone lines than the neighboring business for example. While others may be more interested in multiple data lines. And others may have many businesses located in the same business and want individual connections and service providers. The size of the drop depends on the services required. We encourage businesses to meet with the service providers and the city to determine the requirements of each business.

The city is ready to accept orders and payment for the drops. You have several choices. First, you can come out to the City Service Center, 110 West Progress Circle, Cortez, CO 81321 and sign up and pay for your drop. Or some service providers have expressed interest in wrapping the drop fees into the introductory offers for service. The important thing is the city cannot begin the drop installation until the drop fee is paid. The payment of the drop fee will trigger a site survey of the property to determine the route for the drop and location of the electronics at the business.

The city cannot recommend a particular service provider over another one. Each provider brings unique services and capabilities to the network. Businesses are encouraged to shop around and evaluate service provider plans and pricing. A business might find using several providers may make sense for their business. An example, one provider for voice, another provider for Internet, and a third business for security or data storage off site. On the other hand, and single provider may offer a good package for the business and a single bill makes sense. The flexibility of the network and the open access model the city is following lets individual businesses tailor a plan for their particular needs.

The only time that you will pay the city is for the one time drop fee. Your monthly bill for services will be paid to the service provider/s that you choose for your business services. The city collects our transport fee from the service providers.

If you experience issues and problems with your service, you would call the service provider that is providing that service. The service providers will have a local phone number to call for issues relating to their service.

During this initial build out of the network, the drop installation should happen within 30-60 days. After the first build-out we anticipate a 3-4 week installation cycle. Currently the city is finishing up the build out to the blocks within the business areas.

The city fiber system is a underground utility. There are no aerial installations planned at this time. The drops and the electronics used to bring your business services will need to be installed and maintained by the city. The form authorizes the city to bring the services and maintain them. The drop survey will begin the process of routing the underground services to your business location and into your building.

In a network, bandwidth (what engineers call bitrate) is the ability to carry information The more bandwidth a network has, the more information it can carry in a given amount of time Networks with high bandwidth also tend to be more reliable because fewer bottlenecks disturb the flow of information.

The amount of bandwidth we need grows every year The biggest growth has been for video – traditional pay TV, “over the top” or Internet-based video, and video communications This trend is expected to continue at least for the rest of this decade Video requires not only extra bandwidth but also extra reliability The smallest delay in data transmission can result in distorted views More video is available than ever before, and people are watching video on more screens at once In addition, video formats are becoming more bandwidth intensive HDTV can require as much as 8 megabits per second (Mbps) for fast action, such as in sporting events, even with new compression technology A high-quality 3D experience requires about 5 Mbps minimum 3D immersive HDTV –already used in some academic and industrial settings for telepresence – requires between 50 and 300 Mbps, depending on screen size (some screens cover an entire wall)

Bandwidth requirements for many kinds of data are exploding For example, new digital cameras can create larger and larger images; 30 megabytes is not uncommon In health care, the medical images produced by equipment such as CT scanners are a hundred times larger than camera images, and more In the last few years, business and science both entered the era of “Big Data” applications that collect and analyze data on massive scales Today’s Big Data applications range from consumer pricing models to DNA sequencing to particle physics to control of electricalgrids Big Data doesn’t work without Big Bandwidth

Copper’s capacity is far less than fiber’s It can support high bandwidth for only a few hundred yards The longer a signal travels on copper, the lower the bandwidth falls Optical fiber is unique in that it can carry high-bandwidth signals over enormous distances Fiber uses laser light to carry signals Under some circumstances, a signal can travel 40 miles (60 kilometers) without degrading enough to keep it from being received Fiber is also better able to support upstream bandwidth – that is, from the user out to the network High upstream bandwidth is important for video communication and for many business applications.

That’s the potential bandwidth shared by all users connected to a cellular antenna site Wireless broadband depends on fiber to move information to and from cell towers And even so, each antenna can support only a finite number of cellular signals Cellular data traffic grew 200-fold from 2006 to 2012 and will grow another eightfold by 2015 Providers are now severely limiting wireless data and are encouraging.

Options for making a payment on tickets received are as follows. a.) Cortez Municipal Court office, located at City Hall, b.) through the mail, make check or money order payable to City of Cortez-Cortez Municipal Court, 123 Roger Smith Avenue, Cortez, Colorado 81321 or c.) over the phone 970-565-7952 with a debit card or credit card. There is a drop box behind the west entrance to City Hall for parking tickets and payable tickets with amounts (blue box on pole).

Yes, as long as there is an amount listed on your ticket and the ticket is paid in full before the court appearance date. Tickets that have summons written on the ticket, and no amount listed are court appearance tickets.

License are suspended due to failure to pay fines owed to the court. Once an amount (the default or OJW fee) is paid in full, showing the defendant has complied-paperwork is furnished to take to the DMV and a copy is sent in.

The City of Cortez created a Parks, Recreation, and Forestry Advisory Board and meets at 7:00 a.m. every third Friday of the month at the Cortez Recreation Center to give community feedback on facilities, programs, and services and recommendations on future planning initiatives.

The City of Cortez created a Golf Advisory Board and meets at 7 a.m. every fourth Wednesday of the month from March through October at the Golf Course Pro Shop to give community feedback on the Conquistador Golf Course and recommendations on future planning initiatives.

*For all new structures, regardless of size or purpose *For all manufactured home installations, regardless if on private property or in a park *For replacement of sewer, gas, or water lines *For re-roofing your building *For most plumbing, mechanical alterations/extensions *For any work within city Right of Ways (alleys, streets, etc.) *For new fences (There are some exceptions- Please call our offices for information)

The city requires the purchase of a building permit that covers building, structural, mechanical, and plumbing. The state of CO covers the electrical portion of your project.In most cases you will have to purchase your building permit, right of way permit, and a water tap. Please note that the Cortez Sanitation District usually requires a fee for sewer connection. The Sanitation District’s number is 970-565-3962 for information.

Yes. Normal house repairs and replacement of cabinetry, windows, doors, and other items that do not require structural alterations and does not alter plumbing or mechanical elements do not require a permit.

Usually. For normal residential and commercial projects, Cortez permits and inspects for all phases of the project except for electrical. A state electrical permit is required through the Colorado Department of Regulatory Compliance. For more information on electrical permits, please visit their webpage at: www.dora.state.co.us

City of Cortez Manufactured Home InstallationFrequently Asked Questions

Question: Do I need a permit to install a manufactured home within the city limits of Cortez?

Answer: Yes. If the home will be placed in a manufactured home park (mobile home park), the fee is $175.00. The city will perform all inspections except for the electrical hook up. A licensed electrical contractor must obtain a state electrical permit and perform all electrical hook-ups.

Question: Who is responsible to buy the permit?

Answer: The park owner or park manager is responsible to purchase the permit. Only they know if your proposed sized home will meet the size limitations within their park.

Question: What if the home will be placed on my own lot?

Answer: You will still need a permit. However, not all lots in town are zoned for manufactured homes. Also, the fees for placing a home on private land are significantly different. Contact the Cortez Planning & Building Department at 970-565-3402 for more information.

Question: Can I move in as soon as my home is brought into the park?

Answer: No. For your safety, all inspections must first be performed and approved prior to moving in. Part of the set up includes code compliant steps for each exterior door. Many steps are not approved for use. Check with either your manufactured home installer, or you may call the Cortez Planning and Building Department at 970-565-3402 for more information.

Question: My home is an older manufactured home. Does that make any difference?

Answer: Yes. Only 1976 or newer HUD approved manufactured homes are allowed within the city limits of Cortez. Homes built prior to 1976 were constructed without any national safety standards, and many were deemed unsafe.

Question: I’ve heard that I can install my own manufactured home: is this correct?

Answer: In most instances no; only Colorado State Licensed manufactured home installers are allowed to install your home. Installing manufactured homes in Colorado takes specialized training and tools, therefore most homeowners are unable to comply with state law.

Question: How long does it take to get a permit?

Answer: Usually permits can be obtained no later than the day after the park owner/manager applies for them.

Question: Where can I go to find a licensed installer?

Answer: You may search for licensed installers by visiting the Colorado Department of Local Affairs website: https://dola.colorado.gov/doh_codes/installers.jsf or you can call CDLA at 303-864-7810. For your convenience a list of local Cortez licensed installers are on the back of this page.

If you are a homeowner, you can obtain permits and work on your own house provided you are also the occupant of that house.If you own commercial property, or if the building is a rental or you are building or remodeling a house for resale, you must use the services of a state licensed plumber and electrician. All other work may be performed by the owner.

Yes. Demolition permits are required for any structure being demolished. Upon permit issuance, the city will notify all utility companies of the demolition. Demolition projects require that the lot be graded smooth so that it will not become a nuisance.

It depends. Most one story single family homes will not need a design professional.For commercial projects, normally yes. Generally speaking, any new commercial structures will require a design professional.

You may come to the Cortez Police Department, 608 North Park Street, between 7 am and 5 pm, Monday-Thursday or 7 am and 3:30 pm, Fridays, and complete a records request form with the records technician.

No, the City has an ordinance against pushing snow from private property into the street. Downtown business owners are to clean their sidewalks by noon of the second day after a storm. The property owner is responsible for removing the snow from the sidewalks, whether the lot has a business on it, or is vacant.

The City of Cortez has an annual Sidewalk Cost-Share program to assist property owners who want to construct or repair all sidewalks in the public right-of-way abutting or adjacent to his or her property. Please contact the City Service Center at 970.565.7320 for an application. Anyone not participating in the program, and wants to construct or repair any sidewalk, driveway, or curb-cut on the public right-of-way, must obtain a Right-of-Way construction permit.

The City of Cortez can’t make an official determination if your property is in a Special Flood Hazard Area. There are methods of determination, such as an Elevation Certificate and Letter of Map Amendment, that can be used to demonstrate that a property is in or out of the Special Flood Hazard Area. Flood Insurance Rate Maps are available for viewing on the Federal Emergency Management Agency’s (FEMA) website at the following link: https://msc.fema.gov/portal. The City has a GIS map that shows the approximate location of the flood plain in relation to all properties.

The City Public Works Department maintains all accepted streets. Each year the City performs an annual street improvement project with funds generated from City sales tax, which includes periodic maintenance, reconstruction, resurfacing, and drainage improvements.

Apply through the engineering division at the City Service Center, 110 West Progress Circle, Cortez. You will need to bring in a description of location, overview and time frame of proposed work. Utility Line locates must be obtained after a ROW permit is issued and before any construction begins. Call UNCC for a line locate at 1-800-922-1987 (or 811).

Yes. Every year from May 15 – September 15, lawn watering is not allowed during the hours of 10:00 AM and 5:00 PM. For new lawns, a permit can be obtained (for a fee) to water during those hours. Call 970.565.7320 for more information. Check out the “Water Conservation” page.

When water leaves the tap, it isn't under pressure any longer and the air comes out. However, a yellow or rusty color is probably due to sediment from the water system. Try running your water for a few minutes; this usually takes care of the problem.

Depending on the area of town where the leak is, the main line may be quite old and a water valve won’t shut down as well as it should. The City is trying to rectify the problem by installing new water lines and valves. All of this takes time and money. Each year, Public Works budgets for a major waterline replacement project and a street improvement project.

In August of 2017, China announced to the World Trade Organization that they intended to stop Taking post-consumer materials (recyclables) from the United States and several other countries, due to increased contamination and damage to their own environment from taking contaminated recycling mixes from other countries. China audited their recycling factories in July and found that most of their factories could not meet their new environmental standards, so they decided to halt imports.

Yes it does. Because our residents separate their items, it is much easier for us to move material to market. In fact, we use Domestic markets whenever possible. Our collection efforts have been clean and did not in any way contribute to the China situation.

The estimation on the amount of recycling that the United States moved to China ranged anywhere from 60-90%. Imagine all the other groups in our nation’s recycling industry trying to find new homes for their recyclables. This potential market glut means that the cleaner and more separated our commodity stream is, the more preferred our recycling commodities will be in the near future. Thus, the easier to move them to that market.

Same as in real estate – Location. Our location is outside of optimal trucking zones so companies that wish to move material out of this area face what is known as dead-head trucking rates. That means most entities need to pay round-trip shipping if they want to move materials to market.

Start small - audit your household and start recycling the one material you produce most. Then when you are comfortable, begin with another material. You can use cans, boxes, or bags inside of the bins to hold your materials, separately. The City of Cortez allows residents to have two of our collection bins. You may also set out an additional container for recycling, but it needs to remain separated, and preferably labeled as “Recycling” so our refuse collectors don’t throw them away.